Anthony Joshua has the answer to make the Deontay Wilder fight happen as early as this year

Unified heavyweight world titleholder Anthony Joshua has the answer to make the much-anticipated showdown between himself and WBC titlist Deontay Wilder take place.

Joshua is looking to set up a face-to-face conversation with Wilder, with the intention of ironing out their differences and reach an agreement to fight for the undisputed heavyweight championship.

The fans have been calling for this bout to happen for years and this is probably the best news that has come out of negotiations thus far.

Joshua (22-0, 21 KO's), who has made six world title defenses since knocking out Wladimir Klitschko before a British boxing record crowd of 90,000 at London's Wembley Stadium in April 2017, has stated repeatedly that he wants to fight Wilder, but the promoters that represent both the champions appear to be more interested in protecting their investments, which is what any reasonable promoter would do. However, the fans have no such investment. Needless to say, this generation of boxing, which is more centered on business than making the best fights happen at the right time, is infuriating for the hardcore fans.

But Joshua, who captured a gold medal in the 2012 Olympic Games in London, is taking the necessary step to avoid delaying this fight even further.

The much-hyped bout between legendary fighters Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao could have taken place as early as March 2010. Instead, the bout was delayed until May 2015.

Mayweather (50-0, 27 KOs), 41, of Las Vegas, exchanged numbers with Pacquiao at a Miami Heat basketball game and agreed to meet later that evening in Pacquiao's hotel suite. The former five-division world champion credited that meeting alone for making the fight.

Joshua, who returns to the ring on Saturday night to defend his titles against Andy Ruiz at Madison Square Garden in New York City, remains optimistic that the Wilder fight can transpire this year, but a face-to-face meeting is imperative.

"They should sit us down face to face, that would be good. I think they should sit us down face to face and talk about what the issues are man to man and get this fight sorted this year," Joshua said to Sky Sports.

Wilder (41-0-1, 40 KO's) scored a brutal first-round knockout of mandatory challenger Dominic Breazeale at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Joshua, who is making his U.S. debut against Ruiz, needed seven rounds to put away Breazeale when they fought in June 2016.

Joshua plans to make a statement when he squares off against Ruiz (32-1, 21 KO's), who is serving as a replacement opponent after Jarrell "Big Baby" Miller failed three separate Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) random drug tests, all for performance-enhancing substances.

Despite his physique, Ruiz is no slouch. He carries power in both hands and has decent speed for a heavyweight, but Joshua is looking forward to what is beyond the horizon.

"There's been a lot of interest around the whole fight. The Jarrell Miller situation, the Wilder situation, [Tyson] Fury, Dillian Whyte all these heavyweights," added Joshua.

"It's my time to shine now, so it's good, I feel the buzz, it's really good. There's steps, without all the hardship I went through; I'd never be at MSG and without the fight Saturday night, going through the tough times, emotions, physical struggle, I'd never get to Wilder. So I've got to get through that and straight on to the big fight."